Uber rolling out up-front payment model, ditching ‘surge’ calculating

Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

For denizens of metropolitan areas, ride-sharing is rapidly becoming a common part of everyday life. While these taxi-killers are certainly preferable to their forerunner in many ways, there’s still quite a bit to grouse about if you have the inclination. For Uber, however, two popular complaints are getting the Old Yeller treatment.

Uber has announced that riders in parts of the US and India will now pay up front for their rides rather than on the tail end. This should reduce sticker shock that riders often feel when their estimated $8 jaunt turns into $20 upon arrival. This is a nice little perk for Uber users, but the second change is even better.

The ride-share company has elected to get rid of the way it displays “surge” pricing. Although supply and demand mean that rides will continue to be more expensive during high traffic times, users will know upfront precisely how much they will be paying for the ride rather than having to do any sort of mental math. The surge lightning bolt icon is getting the boot, and all that remains is the price.

This feature naturally goes hand in hand with up-front payment. Currently these changes are only rolling out to New York City, Miami, San Diego, Philadelphia, Seattle, New Jersey, New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai, but the company says that they have plans to expand these alterations globally over the next few months.

What are your thoughts regarding Uber’s shift in their payment model? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.